Our Leader in Indian Newslink Digital Edition July 15, 2023
Venkat Raman
Auckland, July 15, 2023
Kamal has been in New Zealand since 2002 but has never voted in any election- local body or general – but hopes to exercise his franchise on October 14, 2023.
“People like me have been passive onlookers for too long and there is a need to exercise our right to choose the right government. After all, in a democracy, you cannot complain unless you have voted in the first place,” he said.
Kamal was at two of the Electionlink Launch events of Indian Newslink held this week in Auckland for three political parties- Labour, National and New Zealand First. The fourth and last of these events will be held for the ACT Party on July 17, 2023.
Inspiring people to vote
The Electionlink events are organised once in three years during the Election Year not only for political parties to showcase their policies and programmes to an invited audience but also to introduce their new candidates in order that people can assess them and make a meaningful choice. We consider these launch events important because readers like Kamal can be inspired to perform their rights as residents or citizens and elect the right government.
Until he attended our events, Kamal was not sure of Labour, National or New Zealand First. We do not know if he was convinced but we are sure that he will vote this year.
That is the most important aspect of democracy. People must make an informed choice and then hold the government that they have elected to account.
There is a perceptible change in public thinking. New Zealanders, we believe, have come to realise that an absolute majority in Parliament is after all not a good thing because it could lead to a Single-Party State which is antithetical to democratic ideals. It also beats the purpose of the Mixed Member Proportion (MMP) System. As one political pundit at one of our launch events said, “A combination of political ideologies will help keep governments under check. Inclusive governance should not be mistaken for undue privileges to a section of the population.”
The changing scenario
New Zealand’s Labour Party had two strokes of luck in 2020: Good management of the Covid-19 pandemic which helped to keep casualties to the minimum and the main opposition (National) in shambles, which played to the strength of then Leader Jacinda Ardern.
That situation has changed vastly. Ms Ardern’s type of controlled governance was seen as tyrannical and her narrative that she was protecting New Zealanders from the pandemic on the one hand and from the so-called right-wing activists on the other lost its appeal. Unduly long lockdowns, closed borders, mandatory vaccine jabs and a series of other unpopular moves precipitated agony which later turned into public anger.
Contributing to this ire were the proposed Three Waters Reforms, TVNZ-RNZ Merger, and Co-Governance ideas that would effectively create socio-economic divisions.
Ms Arden read the writing on the wall and called it a day at the Labour Party Retreat in Christchurch on January 19, 2023. Her successor Chris Hipkins has tried to placate public feelings by creating a bonfire of many of the unpopular policies and rose high on the Preferred Prime Minister List. The Labour Party also began to make gains in the Opinion Polls.
National’s resurgence
Meanwhile, the National Party has been making advances with Leader Christopher Luxon travelling all over the country, meeting New Zealanders. He is a good listener and in recent weeks proved to be a good campaigner. His smiling image, ubiquitous on billboards is seen by his supporters as the Leader who can get ‘the economy back on track.’
The ACT Party, with its increased popularity, is adding to the woes of the Labour Party.
Although the Party has been sliding in recent surveys, the game is far from over.
Indian Newslink is a non-partisan media house and we will continue to provide our platform for all players. What matters is the voter turnout,
The more, the better, in the best interests of democracy.
